To Leslie - A Movie Review

Make life what you want it to be.

Based on actual events, To Leslie is a 2022 film. A single Texas mother squanders her lottery winnings, leaving her broke. Years later, Leslie is kicked out everywhere she goes. With luck running out, a hotel manager shows her kindness.

You don’t see too many films like To Leslie. I am glad that To Leslie has gained recognition during Oscar season otherwise I would never have found it. To Leslie’s central theme discusses change. Don’t let anybody tell you how to change.

Andrea Riseborough did an excellent job constructing a profound performance. Her presence made this film what it is. Leslie is not a perfect person. Having messed up on several occasions and letting those close to her down, Leslie wants to improve her behavior.

To Leslie has a good cast. Every member of the supporting cast deserves an award. Most roles were short but left a big impact.

James (Owen Teague) was the best character. As Leslie’s son, James tries to help his mother, even buying her clothes and offering her advice. Making a tough decision that could affect their relationship, Teague did a wonderful job expressing silent pain and guilt.

Also appearing in the film are Allison Janney and Stephen Root, two of my favorite character actors. Root is not in the story as much which is a shame because he is terrific in anything that he does. As for Janney, she plays her typical character in which she is not the most pleasant person, but of course, does a wonderful job.

Marc Maron was another favorite performance. I have not seen him in any other media. Sweeney is a generous man, never failing to make a connection with Leslie. I like how Maron rooted his character. He had the right awkwardness and tender aggression.

Giving Leslie one too many chances, Sweeney’s trust is what saves Leslie. I adored this growing friendship. Risenborough and Maron had great chemistry. He gives Leslie the wake-up call that she deserves with an eye-opening speech.

Having varying opinions about Leslie’s actions, certain people prefer to endlessly mock her. I felt bad for Leslie when people made fun of her when she was enjoying herself at the fair.

Leslie has a drinking problem. Filmmakers don’t want viewers to forget that. So, they make sure that we have enough scenes where Leslie goes to the bar, gets drunk, and tries to flirt with guys. Becoming repetitive, we get it.

During the middle portion, Leslie gets sick. It’s never explained why she’s sick. Seeing how she has a drinking problem, I thought it was taking that speculated the negative effects of drinking. Instead, she recovers after a few days and returns to normal activities.

In his directorial debut, Michael Morris enforced a film about change. Passing by someone on the street, you never know who is undergoing a recovery journey. Never make fun of anybody for the mistakes they’ve made.

This is a film about failure. We don’t have too many films like that. Failure is something we can all relate to. Morris immediately embarked on the tone of the film, telling it in a different fashion. The film is slow-paced but hooks you in the first five minutes.

Leslie travels around to several locations throughout the story. The sets and landscape were great. They were a great example of constructing character study.

The ending of To Leslie is touching. Don’t avoid this film. I highly recommend that you watch To Leslie before the Oscars begin.